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NovDec2013

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technology TOOLS OF THE TRADE Smart Diploma Provides ovides Online Credentials When graduates receive their paper diplomas, it's a great accomplishment. But if they lose those documents, it can be an aggravation. "Our graduates tend to lose paper diplomas, but we never duplicate a diploma once it's issued—we only offer a certified document," says Stéphanie Villemagne, director of the MBA program for INSEAD, based in Fontainebleau, France. To address this problem, INSEAD and other schools now are offering students Smart Diplomas and Smart Certificates, online credentials developed by France-based CVTrust. These online documents are permanent and secure, and they cannot be misplaced, explains CVTrust founder David Goldenberg. "Students can access their diplomas securely through their smartphones, iPads, or computers, and they can promote them on LinkedIn and Facebook," he says. When posted on social networks, Smart Diplomas and Smart Certificates appear in miniature; when recruiters click on the images, they are taken to a secure site, under the originating school's domain, that verifies its authenticity. Students also can send an email through the CVTrust system that includes a link to the verified document. INSEAD has provided all of its degreed graduates with Smart Diploma accounts, in addition to paper diplomas, since December 2011. The school sends an email to all graduating students that explains the system and includes a link to the site where they must activate their accounts. If students do not do so within six months, their accounts are deleted. About 60 percent activate their accounts within the first two days, says Villemagne. Some choose not to use the service. If any of these students change their minds after six months, they can ask the school to set up new accounts. To increase participation, INSEAD is working to make students more aware of the online document's permanence, 64 November/December 2013 BizEd What users see after clicking on a link to a Smart Diploma portability, and accessibility. The service is not yet mainstream, so the school also sometimes receives calls from recruiters and employers who have questions about the links they've received from potential hires. "We explain that it's not a PDF, but a secure link to the diploma itself," says Villemagne. She expects the number of queries to decrease as recruiters become more familiar with the service. IMD in Switzerland and Mannheim Business School in Germany also issue Smart Diplomas. The MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States issues Smart Certificates to participants who complete its executive education programs. Because graduates must maintain their current email addresses to access their diplomas, the system also helps schools maintain up-to-date contact information for their alumni. Schools can administer post-graduation surveys and even find lost alumni by querying registered users. Says Goldenberg, "It creates a lifetime bond between the school and the student." The annual cost of the service to schools depends on the number of students a school graduates. Alumni and recruiters access the service for free. For more information, visit www.CVTrust.com.

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